Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Monday evening to assess the evolving regional security situation following U.S. airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, officials confirmed; reads a DAWN report.
The NSC, Pakistan’s top national security forum, comprises senior civil and military leadership and will be chaired by the prime minister. According to sources in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, who recently returned from a visit to the United States, will attend and brief the committee on his discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The U.S. strikes, which occurred just four days after Munir’s high-level meeting with Trump, were strongly condemned by Pakistan. In a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Prime Minister Shehbaz denounced the attack and reaffirmed solidarity with the people and government of Iran.
“The prime minister conveyed Pakistan’s condemnation of the U.S. attacks, which followed Israel’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression over the past eight days,” read an official PMO statement.
Shehbaz also expressed concerns that the targeted sites were under the protection of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), calling the attacks a “serious violation of international law and IAEA statutes.”
While upholding Iran’s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the prime minister urged all parties to pursue dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable solutions to the escalating crisis. He offered Pakistan’s readiness to play a constructive role in de-escalating tensions.
Iranian President Pezeshkian, in response, thanked Pakistan for its firm stance, expressing appreciation for its support during the conflict.
In a separate statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office echoed the condemnation, expressing grave concern over the potential for further escalation in the region. “The attacks violate all norms of international law,” said a Foreign Office spokesperson, emphasizing Iran’s right to self-defense and calling for restraint and dialogue from all parties.
President Asif Ali Zardari also issued a statement urging maximum restraint from all involved, stressing the importance of choosing diplomacy over confrontation. “The international community must act swiftly to help de-escalate the crisis for the sake of regional peace and stability,” he added.
At a press conference held at the National Press Club in Islamabad, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Reza Amiri Moghadam warned that Iran would retaliate against U.S. interests in the region. “The U.S. has a presence in this region—we will decide where and how to respond,” he said.
He criticized the presence of U.S. military bases in Muslim countries, though he noted that Iran does not seek to draw other Islamic states into the conflict.
Regarding the impact of the airstrikes, Moghadam said Iran’s nuclear capabilities remain intact, asserting that its nuclear knowledge is intellectual, not just infrastructural, and therefore immune to physical attacks.
The ambassador expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s diplomatic support, adding that Iran values its neighbor’s stance during this crisis.
As the region remains on edge, all eyes are now on the outcome of the NSC meeting and whether Pakistan will step forward with a formal mediation proposal to help avert further escalation.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
